Of course, she didn't come, but Grandmother Emma did, accompanied by her lawyer, Mr. Ganz. He was a short man, not much taller than she was, with curly black hair that looked like a mass of tiny springs. Some were lined with gray. His eyebrows were so thick they reminded me of caterpillars and I immediately thought about curling up on my bed. If there was ever a time to hope for hope, this was it. I thought.
"Jordan, you know Mr. Ganz. He has been here for dinner with his wife. He wants to talk to you and I want you to tell him the truth, understand?"
"Yes, Grandmother."
"So," Mr. Ganz said, pulling up a chair. "Tell me what happened here between you. Ian, and Miss Harper."
I looked at Grandmother Emma and then I began. I told him everything I could remember. I told how angry Ian was when he found out she had taken his things.
"Were you with Ian after Miss Harper brought you two back home last night?" Grandmother Emma asked, looking impatient. "Well?"
"I thought it was a dream," I said.
"What was? Tell us everything, Jordan. This is very, very serious now," she said.
"I thought it was a dream. He came to see me when I was asleep."
"And? What did he do?" she asked, stepping toward me. "Tell us immediately."
"Easy," Mr. Ganz said. "Don't frighten her, Emma."
"Oh, these children will be the death of me. Well, Jordan?"
"He didn't do anything. He told me not to worry. He said everything would be all right."
"And that's all he said?" Mr. Ganz asked.
"He said Mama and Daddy would be home and maybe Daddy would walk again,"
Ms. Ganz looked up at Grandmother Emma. "It's the scene of a murder, Emma. They can go through this house."
"Okay," she said. "It's time we had a talk with my grandson and brought this all to a quick
resolution."
"Oh. I don't think we'll have a quick
resolution," Mr. Ganz said.
"Yes, we will," she told him.
It was as if she had put a stamp on everything, a seal like a queen woul
d put on her papers.
"You stay here," she told me, and they left me.
It was getting nice outside again. Maybe today we would be permitted to go swimming. I thought. After everyone leaves. I'll ask Grandmother Emma. Maybe she would even let me invite Missy Littleton. Ian liked her, too.
He would put on his underwater mask and we would toss pennies into the water for him to find. We did that one summer day for hours and he always found them. Daddy came out that afternoon to swim, too, and he could find them without a mask. Ian wouldn't open his eyes in the water without the mask because he said the chlorine irritated them. Daddy said that was nonsense.
He pounded his chest like Tarzan and said, "Real men don't need underwater masks."
Missy Littleton laughed, but Ian glared at him with such anger. I got a chill and had to wrap my towel around myself.
Later, at dinner. Daddy's eyes were red and Ian told him so.
Even Grandmother Emma said it was true and he was stupid to get them so irritated.